Cosmetic pigment coating composition for nail polish

ABSTRACT

A pigment coating formulation for use in cosmetics and method of application to pigments is disclosed. The combination of a carboxylic acid and a metal salt of a carboxylic acid provides for an improved coating and advantages in pigment suspension, dispersion and product stability in nail polish.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.501,677, filed Mar. 29, 1990, abandoned.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the field of cosmetics and theincorporation of pigments into a nail polish vehicle, or base.

BACKGROUND

Cosmetics in one form or another have been around since prehistorictimes. Body paint, whether for religious, ritual or ornamental purposes,is an obvious example.

Recorded use of cosmetics dates back 6,000 years in Egypt. Ancienthieroglyphics and portraits reveal extensive accentuation of eyesthrough the use of make-up. Furthermore, eye make-up preparationsincluding kohl, for lashes and brows, and colored eye shadows have beenfound in ancient tombs. Dyes were also used on fingers and toes forornamental purposes.

Powders and sticks of talc, charcoal, and rouge preparations were in usein ancient Greece. The use of the cosmetics spread to the Middle Easternareas, many of which may have already learned of cosmetics from theChinese, and into Rome, where extravagant use often requiredslave-cosmeticians for proper application.

Use of cosmetics waxed and waned, reaching a peak in the Renaissancewhen both men and women made lavish use of cosmetic preparations.

The twentieth century brought another boom to make-up as the "pace ofthe times" was increasing due to improved and faster communications andtravel. Distant and foreign styles, including cosmetic preparations andapplications, spread swiftly and bred more change which in turn spreadelsewhere.

The fashion industry became spotlighted by the various medias andadvertisements promoted make-up creating an enormous market. Thescientific preparation of cosmetics have been fostered and extolled. Themarket continues to grow as new products and brand names are constantlyintroduced.

The large market created also insures competition for that market.Product comparison is inevitable and product appearance is one veryimportant basis of comparison. As cosmetics appeal to vanity and thepurpose of cosmetics is to enhance personal appearance, the productappearance, along with packaging, etc., is an important factor inconsumer acceptance and product success.

Preparations such as nail polish are presented in a manner displayingthe product itself, through clear containers or package windows.Preparations such as these contain pigments mixed and suspended invarious solvents or make-up bases. Should the incorporated pigmentsfloat, settle, striate or separate the product's appearance is adverselyaffected. A product's shelf-life is dependent upon avoiding theseoccurrences over time.

Many coatings and methods of treating pigments have been proposed toimprove the dispersion and suspension characteristics of nail-polishpigments. Coatings based on lecithin and associated fatty acids such aspalmitic, stearic and oleic acids or their salts have been applied toincrease pigment dispersion and hydrophobicity. Some examples of anextensive field of research are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,710,375 (Takasuka etal.), Reissue U.S. Pat. No. 31,602 (4,375,989 Makinnen), 2,068,066(O'Brien), 1,946,052 (Baldwin) and 1,894,168 (Gardner). Efforts toimprove the performance of these dispersion agents include some exoticproposals, for example, use of a phosphorylated fatty acid, U.S. Pat.No. 3,343,974 (Faulkner). Some of the patents in this field relate topaint, and their end products are not suitable for use on humans.

A major drawback arising from the use of fatty acids or their salts isthat an adequately uniform coating of the pigments is not achieved: Thisnon-uniformity of the coating can result in agglomeration or floatationof the pigments in subsequent processing, yielding an unacceptable endproduct.

It has also been proposed to use a silicone coating in a method whichcalls for the tumbling of the pigment while spraying the pigment withsilicone in a 2% solution with a carrier, and then heating the pigment,in the presence of a catalyst, to approximately 70° C. in order to curethe silicone.

This method also suffers from the problems of non-uniformity andcomplete curing of the silicone does not occur. Untreated silicone canform a layer on top of the liquid make-up. Additionally, uncuredsilicone can react with moisture and alcohol forming hydrogen gas.

Other drawbacks inherent with the silicone coating process are a reducedgloss of the finished product and reduced hiding power of the pigment.The reduced hiding power can result in requiring up to 25% more pigmentin the cosmetic. An increase in pigment further increases the problemsassociated with non-uniformly coated pigments and uncured silicone onthe pigments.

In summary, there has been a longfelt need for a simple system toimprove the dispersibilty of pigments to be used in nail polish. Inparticular, there is a need to provide a system which can be used topre-treat the pigment before grinding, will coat newly exposed surfacesof the pigment effectively during the grinding process, and can reducethe need for dispersion agents in the end-product nail polish. It isfurthermore important that any such pigment treatment system not affectthe performance of the pigment, notably its hiding power and color.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is intended to provide a remedy and to provide a pigmentpretreatment composition which makes important progress in satisfyingthis longfelt need for a simple and effective system. It solves theproblems of achieving an adequately uniform coating of the pigment andavoids problems associated with free silicone mixed with the pigment.The inventive method achieves a uniform coating of the pigments notachieved with the previous lecithin, fatty acid or metallic soaptreatments.

Broadly stated, the present invention uses both carboxylic acids andcarboxylic acid salts with a resin carrier in a buffered coating processthat yields a hydrophobic coating with increased dispersioncharacteristics in nail polish vehicles. This novel and uniform coatingprovides the important benefits of preventing agglomeration, settling,floating of the pigment or separation. Surprisingly, these advantagesare obtained without affecting the hiding power of the pigments or glossof the nail polish products.

More specifically, the invention provides, in one aspect a nail polishpigment coating formulation for pre-treating nail polish pigment toimprove the dispersibility, suspensibility and stability of the pigmentin a nail polish, the formulation comprising, in relative proportions byweight:

one part of a hydrophobic carboxylic acid having from 3 to 18 carbonatoms;

from 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a non-toxic metal salt of a carboxylicacid also having from 3 to 18 carbon atoms; and

from 0.5 to 100 parts based on the combined weight of said acid and saidacid salt of a carrier resin; and sufficient organic solvent to wet thepigment.

Some preferred proportions are from 0.75 to 1.5 parts of carboxylic acidsalt per part of acid, and from 1.0 to 10.0 parts of carrier resin percombined part of acid and salt. The quantity of solvent used may be justenough to formulate the coating composition or to wet the intendedquantity of pigment, for example as low as one-third the weight ofpigment. A reasonable maximum is about ten times the weight of pigmentwith up to two times being preferred.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

In the inventive method a coating material mixture is preparedcomprising a carboxylic acid and a metal salt of the same or a similaracid, in weight amounts of the same order of magnitude, a carrier resinand a solvent. The acid and the salt make up 10 to 50 weight percent ofthe mixture for optimum conditions but the percentage may vary widely asthis solution is in turn added to the pigment grinding solvent which maybe similar to the mixture solvent. The carrier resin may be an alkydresin and should be present in an amount on the same order of magnitudeas both the carboxylic acid and salt combined.

The carboxylic acid used is preferably a 3 to 18 carbon fatty acid andthe salt is also preferably of a 3 to 18 carbon acid. A relativelystraight chain carboxylic acid is preferable to a highly branchedstructure. A monovalent or bivalent metal salt such as a sodium,potassium or calcium salt is preferable although any reasonablynon-toxic salt, regardless of the valency of the metal, may be used.Adjustment of the amount of salt, in molar terms, may be necessarybetween different valency salts. Put more broadly, the metallic cationcan be selected from the group consisting of alkali and alkaline earthmetals, ammonium and aluminum.

The coating material mixture is added to the pigment grinding solvent inan amount of 0.1 to 10.0 weight percent of the pigment to be treated andthoroughly mixed in. The pigment, totaling 10 to 50 weight percent ofthe grinding solvent-pigment mixture, is added and completely mixed.

The grinding mixture is allowed 5 to 30 hours sitting time. Less timeresults in a usable but less effectively coated pigment while the pointof diminishing returns in pigment treatment is passed at over 30 hours.No heating is necessary in this process.

As an acid-salt combination is used, the coating time for the pigmentscan be made as long as desirable, allowing for all-day or overnighttreatments. This is due to the buffering action of the acid-saltcombination, keeping the pH of the mixture regulated. The liquid phasecoating operation, combined with the self-regulated pH and timeavailable for coating results in a highly uniform coating.

Nitrocellulose is dissolved in the grinding mixture and mixed, followedby the addition of a resin and solvents and further mixing. The grindingmixture is now ready to be milled.

The mixture is to be ground to at least 8+ on the Hegman scale. Theground mixture is now a pigment paste to be used in the formulation ofcosmetic products.

As the coated pigment is ground, the coating extends to newly exposedpigment surfaces created by the milling process. This coating process ismuch more effective with a pigment that has been given adequate sittingtime with the carboxylic acid--salt combination and therefore hasattained a pre-grinding coating. Lack of sitting time or treatment aftermilling results in a less uniform coating.

The uniformity and hydrophobicity of the coating allows for thesignificant reduction in the use of stearalkonium hectorite, sold underthe trade mark Bentone (™), a suspension aid in nail polish formulation.This is an important improvement, as Bentone (™) can lead to overgellingof a nail polish product by aging, can reduce gloss of the product andcan lead to syneresis, oil separation.

A preferred embodiment of the inventive method of the present inventioncomprises a pigment coating produced by a process of making cosmeticpigment material for use in nail polish comprising the steps of:

a) preparing a cosmetic pigment coating formulation by:

i) combining a carboxylic acid with a metal salt of a carboxylic acid,an alkyd resin and a solvent; and

ii) mixing together said carboxylic acid, said metal salt, said resinand said solvent thoroughly;

b) mixing said cosmetic pigment coating formulation with a pigment pastesolvent;

c) adding a pigment to be coated to the mixture of said cosmetic pigmentcoating formulation and pigment paste solvent;

d) mixing said pigment, said cosmetic pigment coating formulation andsaid pigment paste solvent to make a preliminary mixture;

e) aging said preliminary mixture for a time sufficient to enable apreliminary coating by said carboxylic acid around said pigment;

f) adding nitrocellulose and a carrier resin to the aged mixture of saidpigment, said coating formulation and said pigment paste solvent;

g) mixing together said nitrocellulose, said carrier and the agedmixture to create a mixed combination of nitrocellulose, carrier resinand said aged mixture; and

h) milling the mixed combination of nitrocellulose, carrier resin andsaid aged mixture.

The calcium salt, calcium octoate, is commercially available usually insolution in mineral spirits, whereas a toluene solution of the saltwould be preferable.

The carrier resin could be one or more of the following: an acrylatescopolymer; a styrene acrylate copolymer; a urethane elastomer, forexample Spenlite L90-20H, Spencer-Kellog Co.; a non-oxidizing alkydresin for example Cellokyd 1146T, Cellomer Co.; a polyester resin forexample CV 160 Cellomer Co.; a polyester hard resin, for example,Aroplaz 642, Spencer Kellogg Co.; a hydrocarbon resin, for exampleCellolyn 102 Hercules Inc.; or a toluenesulfonamide formaldehyde resin.

An effective coating mixture formulation can be prepared in acomposition comprising 12.5 percent of an eight carbon, saturatedcarboxylic acid, 12.5 percent of a solution of a calcium salt of thecarboxylic acid (5% calcium in mineral spirits), 25 percent of a carrierresin and 50 percent toluene.

In practicing preferred embodiments of the process of this invention,the coating formulation ingredients are mixed together at moderatespeed, i.e. 700 rpm, for approximately twenty minutes. The coatingformulation is mixed with a pigment paste solvent, preferably atoluene-butyl acetate combination, or ethyl, propyl or butyl acetatealone or in combination with each other or toluene, in the range of 0.5to 5.0 weight percent of coating formulation based on the weight of thesolvent, although any percentage up to 10.0 weight percent can be used.A point of diminishing returns is reached by the 10.0 weight percentfigure ( 10% of the solvent weight, that is) for the proposed amount ofpigment to be added.

Pigment, in the amount of 50 to 200 weight percent of the coatingmix-solvent mixture, is mixed in by slow addition such as sprinklingwhile mixing followed by moderate to high speed mixing such as at 70 to1500 rpm, for an additional 20 minutes.

Additional solvents, resins, and suspension aids weighing on the sameorder of magnitude as the treated pigment, are added to complete thepigment paste mixture ingredients and then thoroughly mixed and milledto where the grind is at least 8+ on the Hegman scale. Such additionalmaterials include the previously mentioned solvents, stearalkoniumhectorite, nitrocellulose, camphor, dibutyl phthalate, benzophenone andresins such as those listed above. Adequate sitting time of 12 to 24hours to allow the pigment to become wetted by the coating mixtureformulation should be given before milling.

Any conventional mill known to be suitable for the purpose can be usedto grind the coated pigment paste. Examples of such mills are: stainlesssteel ball mills, two- or three roller mills, bead mills, pebble millsand the like. In general, three-roller mills require one third theamount of solvent, while two roller mills require none.

The pigment paste is then used in other solutions to produce the desirednail polish shade.

Pigment pastes for titanium dioxide, iron oxides, other pigments such asferric ammonium ferrocyanide and organic pigments may be prepared, withsubstantial end-product and processing benefits, using the pigmentcoating formulations and methods of this invention. However, primarybenefits are obtained from pretreating inorganic rather than organicpigments. Inorganic pigments have a high specific gravity and aretherefore prone to settle out.

Extenders and pearlescent material such as talc, mica and bismuthoxychloride may also be treated and rendered into pastes for cosmeticpreparations. These pigment pastes may be mixed to obtain desired shadesand suspended in a normal suspension base of toluene, butyl acetate andethyl acetate as is known in the field to produce a nail polish product.The nail polish product may include 5 to 40 percent pigment paste fortypical products.

Nail polishes using materials coated with the acid-salt formulation haveshown advantages including: higher gloss; higher hiding capability,better suspension in a centrifuge; no hydrogen production; decreasedsyneresis; decreased amount of Bentone required for suspension; betterbrushability and flow of the product.

Treated materials used in the polishes include: titanium dioxide; dyeand color red #6; dye and color red #7; dye and color red #34; dye andcolor red #36, dye and color yellow #5, black iron oxide, red ironoxide, iron blue, bismuth oxychloride, and guanine (a pearlescentpigment).

Some specific examples of the process and compositions of this inventionwill now be described, by way of illustration of the concepts of theinvention:

EXAMPLE 1

Using the methods described above, a white nail polish suspension isprepared in stages:

Stage 1: Pigment additive coating formulation

A pigment pretreatment formulation or coating mix is prepared byblending the following ingredients in the proportions indicated:

    ______________________________________                                                            Weight %                                                  ______________________________________                                        Calcium Octoate (5% Ca metal in                                                                     12.5                                                    mineral spirits)                                                              Octoic acid (2 Ethylhexoic Acid)                                                                    12.5                                                    Carrier resin         25.0                                                    Toluene               50.0                                                    Total                 100.00                                                  ______________________________________                                    

Stage 2: Titanium dioxide paste formulation

This coating formulation is used as an additive in the preparation of apaste. The foregoing coating mix (the additive) is thoroughly mixed withsolvent in the following proportions:

    ______________________________________                                                     Weight %                                                         ______________________________________                                        Toluene        4.07                                                           Butyl acetate  35.26                                                          Additive       1.63.                                                          ______________________________________                                    

Into this mixture is sprinkled while mixing, preferably at 700 rpm:

    ______________________________________                                        Titanium dioxide 41.19.                                                       ______________________________________                                    

The resultant dispersion is allowed to stand and set for about 24 hours,after which the following ingredients are added:

    ______________________________________                                                          Weight %                                                    ______________________________________                                        Butyl acetate       2.25                                                      Ethyl acetate       .56                                                       Toluene             2.25                                                      Stearalkonium hectorite                                                                           .43                                                       RS Nitrocellulose (1/4 s)                                                                         7.86                                                      Camphor             1.86                                                      Toluenesulfonamide/formal-                                                                        2.64                                                      dehyde resin (80%)                                                            Total of all ingredients:                                                                         100.00                                                    ______________________________________                                    

This titanium dioxide pigment paste mixture is then milled to a grind ofat least 8+ on the Hegman scale and used in Stage 3.

Stage 3: Preparation of Nail Polish Suspension

The titanium dioxide pigment paste mixture from stage 2 is thoroughlymixed to disperse it in a suspension base with the followingcomposition:

    ______________________________________                                                          Weight %                                                    ______________________________________                                        Toluene             25.78                                                     Titanium Dioxide Paste from                                                                       22.00                                                     Stage 2                                                                       Butyl Acetate       13.38                                                     Nitrocellulose      9.53                                                      Ethyl Acetate       8.92                                                      Toluenesulfonamide Formal-                                                                        8.40                                                      dehyde Resin                                                                  Dibutyl Phthalate   6.00                                                      Isopropyl Alcohol   4.26                                                      Camphor             1.38                                                      Stearalkonium Hectorite                                                                           .25                                                       Benzophenone 1      .10                                                       Total               100.00                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 2: RED IRON OXIDE FORMULATION

The procedure of Example 1 is followed to produce a red iron oxide nailpolish suspension. A similar coating formulation is used in Stage 1. InStage 2 the following proportions are used for preparation of thepigment paste:

    ______________________________________                                                          Weight %                                                    ______________________________________                                        Toluene             3.25                                                      Butyl Acetate       39.65                                                     Additive            1.39                                                      Iron oxide          35.00                                                     Butyl Acetate       2.45                                                      Ethyl Acetate       .61                                                       Toluene             2.45                                                      Stearalkonium Hectorite                                                                           .47                                                       RS Nitrocellulose (1/4 s)                                                                         8.74                                                      Camphor             2.09                                                      Toluenesulfonamide formal-                                                                        3.90                                                      dehyde resin (80%)                                                            Total               100.00                                                    ______________________________________                                    

To prepare a red nail polish suspension, the following formulation isused:

    ______________________________________                                        Toluene              27.39                                                    Iron Oxide Paste     19.99                                                    Nitrocellulose (30% IPA wet)                                                                       15.55                                                    Butyl Acetate        10.52                                                    Ethyl Acetate        8.83                                                     Toluenesulfonamide formal-                                                                         8.61                                                     dehyde resin (80% in BAc)                                                     Dibutyl Phtalate     6.19                                                     Camphor              1.88                                                     Stearalkonium Hectorite                                                                            1.04                                                     Total of all ingredients:                                                                          100.00                                                   ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 3: BLUE FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE FORMULATION

The procedure of Example 1 is followed to produce a blue ferric ammoniumferrocyanide nail polish suspension. A similar coating formulation isused in Stage 1. In Stage 2 the following proportions are used forpreparation of the pigment paste:

    ______________________________________                                                          Weight %                                                    ______________________________________                                        Toluene             .97                                                       Butyl Acetate       12.21                                                     Additive            .64                                                       Ferric ammonium ferrocyanide                                                                      10.78                                                     Butyl Acetate       31.25                                                     Ethyl Acetate       .24                                                       Stearalkonium Hectorite                                                                           .19                                                       RS Nitrocellulose (1/4 s)                                                                         5.84                                                      Camphor             .13                                                       Toluenesulfonamide formal-                                                                        32.36                                                     dehyde resin (80% in Bu Ac)                                                   Dibutyl Phthalate   5.39                                                      Total of all ingredients                                                                          100.00                                                    ______________________________________                                    

This ferric ammonium ferrocyanide paste of is used to prepare a ferricammonium ferrocyanide dispersion or suspension with the followingingredients:

    ______________________________________                                                          Weight %                                                    ______________________________________                                        Toluene             25.49                                                     Ferric ammonium ferro-                                                                            25.85                                                     cyanide paste                                                                 Nitrocellulose (30% IPA wet)                                                                      15.61                                                     Butyl Acetate       20.44                                                     Ethyl Acetate       5.73                                                      Toluenesulfonamide formal-                                                                        2.01                                                      dehyde resin (80% in Bu Ac)                                                   Dibutyl Phthalate   2.68                                                      Camphor             .87                                                       Stearalkonium Hectorite                                                                           1.22                                                      Benzophenone-1      .10                                                       Total of all ingredients                                                                          100.00                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 4: RED IRON OXIDE FORMULATION

The procedure of Example 1 is followed to produce a red iron oxide nailpolish suspension. The coating formulation used in Stage 1 is asfollows:

    ______________________________________                                                            Weight %                                                  ______________________________________                                        Calcium Octoate (5% Ca metal in                                                                     0.15                                                    mineral spirits)                                                              Octoic acid (2 Ethylhexoic Acid)                                                                    0.15                                                    Carrier resin         1.77                                                    Toluene               2.96                                                    Butyl acetate         47.33                                                   ______________________________________                                    

In Stage 2 the following ingredients are added, in the manner describedin Example 1 to the above coating formulation:

    ______________________________________                                                          Weight %                                                    ______________________________________                                        Red iron oxide pigment                                                                            26.25                                                     Butyl Acetate       11.23                                                     Stearalkonium Hectorite                                                                           0.62                                                      Nitrocellulose      6.46                                                      Camphor             1.14                                                      Toluenesulfonamide formal-                                                                        1.94                                                      dehyde resin (80%)                                                            Total               100.00                                                    ______________________________________                                    

To prepare a red nail polish dispersion or suspension, following themethod of Example 1, the following formulation is used:

    ______________________________________                                        Toluene              27.01                                                    Iron Oxide Paste     24.38                                                    Nitrocellulose (30% IPA wet)                                                                       15.08                                                    Butyl Acetate        10.28                                                    Ethyl Acetate        6.40                                                     Toluenesulfonamide formal-                                                                         8.71                                                     dehyde resin (80% in BAc)                                                     Dibutyl Phtalate     6.19                                                     Camphor              0.86                                                     Stearalkonium Hectorite                                                                            1.09                                                     Total of all ingredients:                                                                          99.99                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 5: BISMUTH PEARLESCENT DISPERSION

The procedure of Example 1 was repeated except that bismuth oxychloridewas used in place of titanium dioxide, in the following proportions, toprovide a bismuth pearlescent suspension:

    ______________________________________                                                          Weight %                                                    ______________________________________                                        Bismuth oxychloride (BWD)                                                                         99.54                                                     Additive (Ex. 1, Stage 1)                                                                         .46                                                       Total               100.00                                                    ______________________________________                                    

EXAMPLE 6: MICA OR TIMICA PEARLESCENT DISPERSION

The procedure of Example 1 was repeated except that mica or timica wasused in place of titanium dioxide, in the following proportions, toprovide a mica or timica pearlescent suspension:

    ______________________________________                                        Mica or Timica  96.91                                                         Additive        3.81                                                          Total           100.00                                                        ______________________________________                                    

The following shades of nail polish have been made for stability testsagainst a conventional commercially available silicone-treated titaniumdioxide, iron oxide and ferric ammonium ferrocyanide, as a control butwhich does not contain the inventive additive. The white, colored andpearlescent nail polish suspensions produced by the foregoing Examplesare used in nail polish formulations, in various proportions, to producea variety of tints. The proportions of ingredients used in the foregoingExamples have been carefully chosen to be balanced so that thesuspensions produced can readily be used in a modular manner inpreparing the end-product nail polishes with complex colors from a setof base colors.

The following Table 1 provides examples of some advantageous nail polishformulations that can be made up using the pigment dispersions from thepreceding Examples. The suspension base recited below comprises aselection of ingredients from the group comprising n-butyl acetate,ethyl acetate, toluene, polyester resin, benzophenone, camphor,nitrocellulose, stearalkonium hectorite, dibutyl phthalate and isopropylalcohol.

A full analysis of the composition of these novel nail polishformulations is set forth in Table 2, following Table 1.

                  TABLE 1                                                         ______________________________________                                        Weight %                                                                      ______________________________________                                                        Devon    Matte    Brownberry                                                  Rose     Sand     Creme                                       ______________________________________                                        TiO2 suspension, Ex. 1                                                                        12.35    13.15    8.19                                        Red 6 suspension                                                                              4.60     0.64     2.15                                        Red Iron Oxide, Ex. 2                                                                         1.24              1.80                                        Yellow 5 susp.           2.12                                                 Black oxide                       1.48                                        Bismuth pearl., Ex. 5                                                                         0.25              0.07                                        Blue susp., Ex. 3                                                                             0.40                                                          L red 7 susp.   4.17                                                          Suspension base 76.99    84.09    86.31                                       Total           100.00   100.00   100.00                                      ______________________________________                                                        Wild     Sweet                                                                Plum     Honey    Coffee                                      ______________________________________                                        TiO2 suspension, Ex. 1                                                                        1.96     5.11     6.03                                        Red 6 suspension                  1.94                                        Red Iron Oxide, Ex. 2    1.22                                                 Yellow 5 susp.           1.22     1.29                                        Red 34 susp.    1.88                                                          Black oxide              0.20     0.32                                        D red 7 susp.   19.32                                                         Bismuth pearl. susp., Ex. 5                                                                            0.10                                                 Blue susp., Ex. 3        0.30                                                 Suspension base 76.84    91.85    90.42                                       Total           100.00   100.00   100.00                                      ______________________________________                                                        Crimson  Creamy   Sizzling                                                    Creme    Pink     Red                                         ______________________________________                                        TiO2 suspension, Ex. 1                                                                        3.90     17.18    1.43                                        Red 6 suspension                                                                              20.24    4.94     14.52                                       Yellow 5 susp.           0.49                                                 D red 7 susp.   14.39                                                         L red 7 susp.                     6.19                                        Suspension base 61.46    77.39    77.86                                       Total           99.99    100.00   100.00                                      ______________________________________                                    

                                      TABLE 2                                     __________________________________________________________________________    Analysis - Weight %                                                           __________________________________________________________________________                           Devon                                                                              Matte                                                                              Brownberry                                   INGREDIENTS            Rose Sand Creme                                        __________________________________________________________________________    N-BUTYL ACETATE        28.87                                                                              29.13                                                                              29.19                                        ETHYL ACETATE          11.30                                                                              10.93                                                                              11.28                                        TOLUENE                23.53                                                                              23.72                                                                              23.40                                        DRY POLYESTER RESIN    1.55 1.04 0.92                                         BENZOPHENONE-1         0.12 0.13 0.13                                         CAMPHOR                1.91 2.00 1.97                                         NITROCELLULOSE         12.05                                                                              12.00                                                                              12.12                                        STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE                                                                              1.10 1.13 1.13                                         DIBUTYL PHTHALATE      6.41 6.46 6.46                                         ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL      5.24 5.33 5.38                                         BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE    0.06      0.02                                         TITANIUM DIOXIDE       1.13 1.21 0.75                                         D&C RED #6 BARIUM LAKE 0.23 0.03 0.11                                         D&C RED #7 CALCIUM LAKE                                                                              0.19                                                   D&C YELLOW #5 ALUMINUM LAKE 0.10                                              BLACK IRON OXIDE                 0.07                                         RED IRON OXIDE         0.08      0.12                                         IRON BLUE              0.01                                                   TOL SULFONAMIDE-FORMALDEHYDE                                                                         6.21 6.78 6.96                                         TOTAL                  99.99                                                                              99.99                                                                              100.01                                       __________________________________________________________________________                           Wild Sweet                                             INGREDIENTS            Plum Honey                                                                              Coffee                                       __________________________________________________________________________    N-BUTYL ACETATE        28.93                                                                              29.51                                                                              29.45                                        ETHYL ACETATE          11.07                                                                              11.27                                                                              11.16                                        TOLUENE                24.04                                                                              23.37                                                                              23.55                                        DRY POLYESTER RESIN    1.56 0.55 0.64                                         BENZOPHENONE-1         0.13 0.13 0.13                                         CAMPHOR                1.83 2.00 2.01                                         NITROCELLULOSE         12.13                                                                              12.10                                                                              12.08                                        STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE                                                                              1.12 1.14 1.14                                         DIBUTYL PHTHALATE      6.47 6.49 6.50                                         ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL      5.28 5.38 5.34                                         BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE         0.02                                              TITANIUM DIOXIDE       0.18 0.47 0.55                                         D&C RED #6 BARIUM LAKE           0.10                                         D&C RED #34 CALCIUM LAKE                                                                             0.08                                                   D&C RED #7 CALCIUM LAKE                                                                              0.98                                                   D&C YELLOW #5 ALUMINUM LAKE 0.06 0.06                                         BLACK IRON OXIDE            0.01 0.02                                         RED IRON OXIDE              0.08                                              IRON BLUE                   0.01                                              TOL SULFONAMIDE-FORMALDEHYDE                                                                         6.19 7.40 7.29                                         TOTAL                  99.99                                                                              99.99                                                                              100.02                                       __________________________________________________________________________                           Crimson                                                                            Creamy                                                                             Sizzling                                     INGREDIENTS            Creme                                                                              Pink Red                                          __________________________________________________________________________    N-BUTYL ACETATE        28.12                                                                              28.76                                                                              28.98                                        ETHYL ACETATE          10.42                                                                              10.76                                                                              11.52                                        TOLUENE                24.84                                                                              23.97                                                                              23.66                                        DRY POLYESTER RESIN    2.59 1.47 1.53                                         BENZOPHENONE-1         0.13 0.13 0.12                                         CAMPHOR                1.87 1.98 1.91                                         NITROCELLULOSE         12.13                                                                              12.01                                                                              12.12                                        STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE                                                                              1.11 1.12 1.10                                         DIBUTYL PHTHALATE      6.42 6.43 6.46                                         ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL      5.33 5.29 5.18                                         BISMUTH OXYCHLORIDE                                                           TITANIUM DIOXIDE       0.36 1.58 0.13                                         D&C RED #6 BARIUM LAKE 1.00 0.24 0.72                                         D&C RED #7 CALCIUM LAKE                                                                              0.73      0.29                                         D&C YELLOW #5 ALUMINUM LAKE 0.02                                              TOL SULFONAMIDE-FORMALDEHYDE                                                                         4.95 6.24 6.28                                         TOTAL                  100.00                                                                             100.00                                                                             100.00                                       __________________________________________________________________________

These nine nail polish formulations were carefully tested, and found toexhibit the following qualities:

Better suspension in a centrifuge.

Higher gloss.

Less syneresis.

Higher hiding.

No hydrogen build up.

Better brushability and flowability.

Furthermore, less Bentone was needed to achieve the same suspensioncharacteristics, implying that the inventive products would show lessgellation, or viscosity build up on the shelf.

While illustrative embodiments of the invention have been describedabove, it is, of course, understood that various modifications will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Such modifications arewithin the spirit and scope of the invention, which is limited anddefined only by the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A nail polish pigment coating formulation for pre-treatingnail polish pigment material prior to grinding to improve thedispersibility, suspensibility and stability of said material in a nailpolish by a method in which said coating formulation is mixed withpigment material in a proportion of from 0.25 to 20 weight % based onsaid pigment material in the presence of from one-third to ten times theweight of the pigment of an organic hydrophobic pigment paste solvent,said coating formulation comprising, in relative proportions byweight:a) one part of a hydrophobic carboxylic acid having from 3 to 18carbon atoms; b) from 0.1 to 10 parts by weight of a non-toxic metalsalt of a carboxylic acid also having from 3 to 18 carbon atoms; c) from0.5 to 10.0 parts based on the combined weight of said acid and saidacid salt of a carrier resin; and d) sufficient organic solvent toformulate the coating composition.
 2. A nail polish pigment coatingformulation as claimed in claim 1 wherein the proportion of salt is from0.75 to 1.5 and of resin is from 0.75 to 1.2.
 3. A nail polish pigmentcoating formulation as claimed in claim 2 wherein said carrier resinconstitutes a weight amount on the same order of magnitude as said fattyacid and metal salt combined.
 4. A nail polish pigment coatingformulation as claimed in claim 3 wherein said carrier resin is selectedfrom the group consisting of an acrylates copolymer; a urethaneelastomer; a non-oxidizing alkyd resin; a polyester resin; a hydrocarbonresin; and a toluene sulfonamide formaldehyde resin.
 5. A nail polishpigment coating formulation as claimed in claim 4, wherein saidacrylates copolymer is a styrene acrylate copolymer.
 6. A nail polishpigment coating formulation as claimed in claim 1 wherein said salt isin solution.
 7. A nail polish pigment coating formulation as claimed inclaim 2 wherein said solvent consists of one or more of the grouptoluene, butyl acetate and ethyl acetate.
 8. A nail polish pigmentcoating formulation as claimed in claim 7 wherein said solvent consistsof toluene.
 9. A nail polish pigment coated formulation as claimed inclaim 1 wherein said metal salt is a sodium, potassium or calcium salt.10. A pigment grinding composition comprising a coating formulationaccording to claim 1 mixed with pigment material in a proportion of from0.25 to 20 weight % based on said pigment material in the presence offrom one-third to ten times the weight of the pigment of an organichydrophobic pigment paste solvent.
 11. A nail polish pigment coatingformulation for pre-treating nail polish pigment material prior togrinding to improve the dispersibility, suspensibility and stability ofsaid material in a nail polish by a method in which said coatingformulation is mixed with pigment material in a proportion of from 0.25to about 20 weight % based on said pigment material in the presence offrom one-third to ten times the weight of the pigment of an organichydrophobic pigment paste solvent, said coating formulation comprising,in relative proportions by weight:a) one part of a hydrophobiccarboxylic acid having from 3 to 18 carbon atoms; b) from 0.75 to 1.5parts by weight of a non-toxic metal salt of a carboxylic acid alsohaving from 3 to 18 carbon atoms said metal being selected from thegroup consisting of alkali and alkaline earth metals, ammonium andaluminum; c) from 1.0 to 10.0 parts based on the combined weight of saidacid and said acid salt of a carrier resin; and d) sufficient organicsolvent to wet the pigment.
 12. A pigment grinding compositioncomprising a coating formulation according to claim 11 mixed withpigment material in a proportion of from 0.25 to about 10 weight % basedon said pigment material in the presence of from one-third to ten timesthe weight of the pigment of an organic hydrophobic pigment pastesolvent.
 13. A nail polish pigment coating formulation as claimed inclaim 4 wherein said polyester resin is a polyester hard resin.